[hr][hr][i][h1][color=dodgerblue]Lihua Zhao[/color].[/h1][/i][hr][hider=Massive Attack - Sly][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paz85EEJdXw[/youtube][/hider][hr]
[i][u]Greenflower Garden, Silver Hills.[/u][/i]


[i]What an eventful night....[/i]

Lihua trailed off to herself as she drove through the gates of the Liu manor. She just hoped that Jennifer could sort out her problem before she drowns the whole lot of them in despair. Pulling into the rather large garage, Lihua slowly took steps out of the vehicle. The Liu estate was certainly a large building, Lihua hoped that she could find Lijaun here. Opening the doors to the garage, she turned her head off to the side, and walked down the hallway - before she noticed a blonde haired maid walking around and got her attention.

"Hello," Lihua greeted her. "Do you know where the children are?"

"Oh?" The maid said, unsure of where they are. "I heard some kids by the foyer."

"Thank you." Lihua said with a smile and marched over to the main foyer, and she heard the indistinct chattering that just had to belong to Lijuan and Honghui. When she approached the foyer from the side, she stopped for a moment, and listened to their conversation.

"Oh, Li!" The young Honghui said as he played with his action figure. He was a few years younger than Lijuan, so he was much smaller than the youngest Zhao. His facial features were much more in line with his father, and had a head of short black hair. He wasn't wearing any spectacular, just plain clothes that were picked up out of the store. He would exchange this bland clothing choice for a fancy suit that fits his measurements perfectly. 

"Yes?" Lijuan said as she ceased playing with the toy car that normally belonged to Honghui. The younger Zhao was in clothes that she would normally wear around the house in the Zhao household - sky blue pajamas for night time. Just because she was staying in a mansion for awhile didn't mean she had to exchange her entire wardrobe for something fancy. 

"What's that around your neck?" Honghui reached over towards Lijaun's power suppressant collar.

"Wait! Don't touch it!" The Zhao daughter said in a shrill, high-pitched voice as she tried to push Honghui away. 

"Just let me see it!" Honghui was persistent, and this was the point where Lihua turned the corner and raised her finger to say.

"Listen baby, just-" 

But, at that moment, Lijuan had pushed Honghui a little too hard, and she sent the young Liu child sprawling down the stairs. Lijuan let out a sharp yell as Honghui fell down out of shock for her actions. Lihua was practically running over to them - but that was hard in heels.

What happened next surprised her.

The boy loudly yelled in shock himself... but, when he did, his voice carried a near-invisible [i]wave[/i] of some sort that traveled outwards at high speeds. Hitting everyone with some kind of wave. Lihua didn't feel anything from it, she just looked in confusion... A random butler just investigating what happened passed out unconscious instantly. While Lijuan was holding onto consciousness.

"I... I feel funn..." Lijaun said as she fell forward, ready to tumble down the stairs herself (and almost making Lihua hop out of her heels), when a white aura surrounded her, holding her in place. Lihua looked up to see Mika Liu, her oldest niece - a heavy-set girl with mousy glasses, and wearing a white dress - standing with her arm outstretched. Lijaun floated up into the air, and was gently placed down.

"... Thank you, Mika." Lihua said as she walked over to Lijaun and immediately checked for a pulse. Lijaun is perfectly fine, but she is unconscious. Right when Honghui manifests a... power? Well, the Liu family has officially surprised Lihua. But, she was wondering what the hell happened to her. "... What the hell happened to her?" 

"Auntie," Mika said as she walked down the stairs. "It is a mystery to even me, it's... Honghui's ability. I know it's Cerebral in nature because I am capable of replicating it. But, I am unable to figure out it's exact effects."

While Lihua held Lijaun in her arms, she looked at Mika. "So, you mean that Honghui's a Metahuman, and [i]no one[/i] thought it was a good idea to tell me?" Lihua narrowed her eyes. "Or even contact DOVE to figure it out?"

"Apologies, auntie," Mika said, bowing in shame. "Father said that he wanted to keep Honghui out of the eyes of the public until he is ready."

Lihua could only roll her eyes... she could understand why Jiao-Long wanted to keep Honghui safe, but what he did was cause problems within his own family. "... Have you even figured out what his ability is?"

"... [i]What happened here?[/i]" Another feminine voice entered the mix, speaking in Chinese, and Lihua turned her head to see the rather short Chunhua... who would be classified as the Liu "Matriarch" if she wasn't so damn reclusive. "[i]Honghui![/i]" She quickly ran over to Honghui and knelt down, and tended to his wounds. She eventually picked up the child and carried him off without a word.

Ignoring what just happened, Mika turned towards Lihua and said, "I am not sure... I tested it on Lin, and she didn't react to it... but, a maid outside the room passed out," Mika said, nodding her head. "I believe it only works on normal humans..." Then she looked at Lijuan.

"... But, that just doesn't add up."

Lihua groaned, but Lijuan was beginning to wake up, and she looked down at her. Her investigator instincts made her open up Lijaun's eye.

"... I'm sorry." Lijaun regretfully said, tears running down her cheeks. "I... hurt more people. I'm so sorry...."

Lihua wiped her daughters tears away as she helped Lijaun to her feet. "It's okay, baby." 

"Let's go for a walk..."

[hr][hider=Sam Yung - Echoes][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0axUfwDWT4[/youtube][/hider][hr]

The two Zhaos had found themselves in the garden of the Liu Estate... which was a beautiful place. Greenflower Garden certainly lived up to it's name. The Liu family sure know how to make a great scenic garden. It was a massive garden that surrounded the Liu estate in beautiful shrubbery. It was weaved with pathways of elegant stone, and there were lamps that illuminated the estate. Lihua and Lijaun were walking down the path - with Lijaun simply wearing some flip flops out of her room.

Lihua looked down at Lijuan, who still looked distressed. "Baby..." She trailed off.

"Yes...?"

"You didn't mean to hurt Honghui..." Lihua said. "It was just an accident... and accidents... accidents just happen."

"... But, I also hurt my classmates in school," Lijaun said, sharply looking off to the side. "That's what my teachers said...."

"Your teachers are all fools..." Lihua said, before she realized what the [i]root[/i] of the problem was. She was quick to reach into her purse, and pull out a specific key. This was a risk that Lihua was willing to take, if it meant Lijaun's happiness. "I know how I can help you, but you have to promise me to be careful. [i]Promise me.[/i]" Lihua said.

Lijaun was confused, but she was willing to give this a chance. "... I promise."

Without another word, Lihua stuck the key in the keyhole, and then turned it. The collar around her neck came off, and Lihua grabbed it. "It's about time that I taught you that you shouldn't be afraid of your ability." Lihua said, leaning over towards Lijaun with a warm, encouraging, smile on her face. "Just start by making a little flame. If it starts to be too much, tell me."

"But, mommy-"

"Just make a flame, I know you can do it," Lihua tried to encourage her, and Lijaun nodded her head. She stuck out her hand, and tried to concentrate... the best she could, in fact. All she wanted to do was make a flame. Holding her breath and focusing... Lijaun created a flame around her little hand. It was almost like a small torch.

"Good, good, good," Lihua said. "We're getting somewhere, now come with me." She grabbed Lijaun by her other hand and carried to an open field that was right next to a pond... a place where Lihua could safely throw Lijaun in case she begins to lose control.

"Now, you need to understand something... that flame in your hand... it's not a curse, but it is a gift," Lihua tried to give Lijaun confidence.

"But, I hurt people..."

"You have, but, it was not your fault... you were given a power that you don't quite understand," Lihua said, walking around Lijaun and sitting down next to the pond, and patted the ground next to her a few times as a signal for Lijaun to sit down. "But, while it can be scary, you have to realize that it can be your greatest strength..."

Lijaun looked at Lihua, before staring at the bright fire in her hand that illuminated the water.

"Once you learn this power, you will realize that it isn't frightening at all, but it can be your warmth in the darkness...." Lihua said, staring into the beautiful pond, which was made even more beautiful with the flame Lijaun was projecting. "... But, at the same time, it can ward monsters away, because this world is a strange one with no absolutes. Sometimes you'll feel like your only protection in the world is the flames that come from within."

Lihua said, as a finger drifted towards Lihua's chest and pressed it against it. The child was somewhat confused.

"You know... in my culture, Chinese culture, yes... fire is attributed to bravery, leadership, passion, and creativity," Lihua turned her head towards Lijaun and smiled. "That spells great things for you, Lijaun. Because when you were born, I just [i]knew[/i] you'd do great things in your life... just like your older sister."

"Big sis?" Lijaun said.

"Yes... Meifeng, look at her now, she's out saving the world... but, you don't have to follow in her footsteps." Lihua flicked her wrist as she dismissed the claim. "This power will belong to you, and you alone, you don't owe the world anything, truthfully. And I want you to know that."

"But..." Lijuan said, as she stared at the flame, which suddenly got more intense and that worried the child... which snowballed out of control because that fear made the flame burn brighter. However, the fearless Zhao woman grabbed Lijaun by the wrist, and merely shoved her hand in the water. Extinguishing the flames.

"... See?! I can't even control it!" Lijaun said in fear.

"You can... you just have to believe in yourself... because you want to know something?" 

Lijaun nodded her head.

"I used to have he same problem when I first developed my own ability... but, unlike yours, mine was far more destructive...." Lihua trailed off. "But, I pulled together the inner-strength and courage to master my ability, and to this day, I have used it as a stepping stone to achieve a new level of personal understanding."

Lihua grabbed a pebble, and then tossed it into the pond, skipping the stone across the water.

"Lijaun," Lihua said as the stone finally lost momentum and stopped.

"[i]Let me tell you a story...[/i]"


[hr][i][h1]Thirty-Four Years Ago...[/h1][/i][hr]
[i][u]Shanghai, China.[/u][/i]


... Stumbling backwards, the sixteen year old Lihua stared at her aggressor with the eyes of a hawk. She barely flinched, she merely wiped the blood that was dripping out of her mouth away with the sleeve of her school uniform. Back then... Lihua was not even named Lihua, but instead, Qiaolian. She was, at seventeen, three inches shorter than she is right now - but, even then, she was a giant among her fellow Chinese. Her facial features were far less matured, and her body was nearly clean of scars. She still had the same sharp, piercing, brown eyes, and even if she wasn't tall, her well-toned, muscular, body was quite frightening. All to a workout rotine that she dedicated herself to... one that was going to take her straight to the olympics. What fat that she had went straight to her already-busty chest that only had much more growing to do. Black hair was tied in a pony-tail.

When she was done wiping her sleeve off - noting the red streak of blood  staining her uniform - she looked up at the group of girls in front of her. All wearing the same uniform, and laughing at her. There was another girl with a similar build to herself, standing in front.

"[i]Now, what did you say about my family, you big freak of nature?[/i]" The girl said with a cocky look on her face.

That was just a challenge to Qiaolian. She opened her mouth and hissed clear as day,"[i]... What? Did three generations of[/i] inbreeding[i] ruin your hearing, too?[/i]" Qiaolian grinned as the girl was just about ready to explode. "[i]You and your inbred family needs to get the hell out of Shanghai, and get back to your farm in Mongolia.[/i]"  

The girl was just about ready to boil over, and Qiaolian just wanted to add that little [i]push[/i] that would send her flying over the edge. "[i]That way, you and your father can make the next[/i] generation[i] of Chens without anyone else getting in the way of your[/i] forbidden love..."

And that was the final straw. The girl let out a yell as she just ran at Qiaolian with the intent of killing her. With her fist cocked back, she was fairly predictable for the analytic Liu girl. She dropped into her Tai-Chi stance with her legs  slightly wider than shoulder width and had her arms ready. When the girl finally threw the punch, Qiaolian swiped her arm upwards and deflected the punch - while using the motion to push her palms into the girl's exposed chest.

Tai-Chi was known for it's graceful movements that didn't require strength... but, still packed a punch. The girl got the wind knocked out of her chest and she was sent stumbling backwards, but Qiaolian didn't let up the pressure. She stepped forward and launched a kick right at the girl's groin that made her scream in pain because such a powerful attack was being sent at such a sensitive area. When her foot hit the ground, she stopped the Tai-Chi for some more basic hand to hand.

She got close and threw a brutal haymaker to her jaw - so brutal that it managed to hurt [i]Qiaolian[/i] - that sent a tooth flying across the air, and it slid across the ground. Followed by the girl's friends letting out various exclaims of shock as the girl fell backwards. Qiaolian caught the girl, who was barely holding onto consciousness at this point, and finished her off with one last punch to the nose, and let go of her collar. She hit the ground, knocked unconscious, and a pool of her own blood.

Qiaolian could only furrow her brows as she stared at the girl. "... [I]Don't speak if your words are meaningless, whore.[/i]" She hissed to the girl before she simply whipped around - and the first thing she saw was the teachers... while she was distracted with fighting the girl, her posse ran off and found a teacher. And with the girl unconscious and bleeding on the ground, that didn't paint a good picture for Qiaolian.

[i]Damn it.[/i]

[hr]

A few hours later, she was sitting in a chair in the Liu Manor... her father's office. She had a blank face on as she stared ahead. Aware of her father's presence as he walked around her with his arms behind his back... Her father, like the rest of the Liu family, were quite intimidating. He was freakishly tall even by [i]western[/i] standards. He wore a black suit, with gold detailing, and had a cigar hanging from his lips (A habit he picked up during a visit to the west... while it was not to his liking, he adores cigars enough to purchase some).
His name was Jianguo, the cold, vicious, patiarch of the Liu family.

"[i]Qiaolian[/i]..." Jianguo said as he puffed cigar smoke. "... [i]Yet again, you bring shame to our name acting like you do not know how to act.[/i]" His voice was very deep and raspy... just another reason why people were afraid to cross the Liu family. With children like Qiaolian, and men like Jianguo taking the helm, they were the contenders for China's most frightening family. "[i]And right as I thought the Tai-Chi lessons were finally starting to put you under control....[/i]"

"[i]Father, the Chen-child was picking a fight with me,[/i]" Qiaolian said, monotone and devoid of emotion. Trying her best to sound neutral. "[i]She insulted me, and I returned the favor... I clearly upset her.[/i]"

"[i]Hmph, the Chen family is certainly a weak one,[/i]" Jianguo scoffed, "[i]But,[/i] that [i]is not the point.[/i]" 

He stared off into the distance. "[i]You are going to one of the best schools in China on behalf of one of it's most powerful families... you have a status to uphold, and you've been doing everything you can to ruin it.[/i]"

Jianguo stared at Qiaolian from over his shoulder, staring at her.

"[i]You better learn what it means to be a Liu, and you better learn it fast, lest I decide to take... further action[/i]" Jiang started off, before he pointed at the door.

"... Now get out of my sight."

[hr]

To hell with him. To hell with everyone in this [i]damn[/i] family.

They give more of a damn about their status than her, so their precious [i]"status"[/i] can go to hell. Personally, Qiaolian wanted away from this damn family, and if it meant that she had to leave China altogether to achieve that dream, then so be it. How about America? If her father hates it so much, then it [i]must[/i] be a great place. Qiaolian had only one way to get her mind off things.

She grabbed a bag, before she walked out the doors of the Liu estate, and closed them behind her. She sighed as she got a breath of the night sky. She was going have to be quick, Qiaolian merely walked to the walls around the Liu estate and hopped over them.

She walked through the streets of this beautiful city, before she made it to her destination: a construction site. They were building a skyscraper here... and there was plenty of concrete for her to practice with - uncaring that she was setting back progress. It was almost dark out, so everyone left. She made a note to never practice in the same construction site twice, so she'll have to make good use of this area to practice.

Arriving in the dirt pit, there was the metal frame of the building they were developing, and plenty of concrete foundation for her to use. With there a pit for the basement, Qiaolian had plenty of cover to practice in peace. She vaguely overheard that this was going to be apart of the mighty Liu empire (Or it belongs to a rival, Qiaolian couldn't help but ignore such frivolous matters such as a family that she despises).

Taking in a deep exhale, Qiaolian put her hands out and closed her eyes... this ability was so strange and unfamiliar to her, but she had to learn it somehow. This unknown power will save her some day. It would become a hidden power that elevated her above the other Lius. For years, she desperately searched for information on this ability, but, oddly enough, couldn't find anything useful. Whether it's being hidden, or there simply isn't any information, is the question.

Whatever the hell Qiaolian is... is she the only one?

There were many questions, but Qiaolian found them all irrelevant. Whether she's some kind of heavenly being, or a devil is not any of her concern. There was one thing on her mind... and it was this concrete block that was standing before her. It was at least three feet taller than her, and grey... certainly an intimidating figure for the young Qiaolian.

There was something that she had figured out. It was that her power was controlled through body movements... and in a way, she can apply martial arts to controlling it. However, she was having trouble with finding the "right" body movements. She was blinded by her Tai-Chi training.

She dropped into a Tai-Chi form... Play the Lute, that's what they called it. Facing the rock with enough intensity to split it in half without even a single blow. She closed her mind, and flowed like water as she thrust her palm towards the rock.... and when her hand hit the concrete slab, it felt like hell on her fingers as she quickly pulled her hand back and let out a hoarse cry. Qiaolian grabbed her hand, before she examined it. Her hand was red, and twitching in pain.

And she broke a nail.

Letting out a sharp huff of irritation, Qiaolian quickly returned her composure... [i]What am I doing wrong?[/i] Qiaolian thought to herself as she stared at the rock. Instead of getting irritated, she cleared her mind and came at it from another angle. She meditated on the ground, contemplating what she has done wrong. The question was inside of herself. 

Inside her heart was [i]earth[/i]. 

Qiaolian was an avid lover of Chinese philosophy and spiritualism, and she was born under earth. She is patient, hardworking, disciplined, introspective, intelligent, and more... and she, ironically enough, got power over the earth itself. While it's not the first thing you think of when someone mentions "Earth," it's still stone. She can bend this city to her will... but, chooses not to. Only to be responsible with her new power. Qiaolian can only find the power to control this ability from [i]within[/i].

And from within, she found that power. Like a switch that had opened inside of herself.

Slowly rising to her feet, Qiaolian got back into the Play-The-Lute stance, and stared at the rock yet again. Instead of coming at it in a gentle way, she knew that she had to stop that and be [i]true[/i] to herself, opposed to denying what was within. The only way to move a stubborn rock is through [i]force[/i].

Balling her fist, Qiaolian let out a sharp exhale as she went against her training and sent her fist flying forward. When it hit the rock this time, she blasted it apart. It was utterly reduced to chunks that were sent flying forward. Qiaolian smiled as she finally made progress with her ability. She cockily laughed as she realized the potential here.

For the first time in years, Qiaolian has broken the limits behind her ability.

Quickly turning her head, Qiaolian threw a kick that sent a chunk of a concrete block off... but, she wanted to move forward from here. No more throwing rocks, and breaking worthless slabs, it was time for the real deal. She stared at all the concrete before her... that she was standing on, and reached inside of herself and channeled her power.

She put her legs far apart as she could, bending them at the knee, before she raised her fist up into the air, and inhaled. If she messes this up... things could go quite badly. But, she is Liu Qiaolian. A girl that is known for her ability to back up her confidence.

When she exhaled, she let out an all out yell as she slammed her fist into the ground and sent a [i]wave[/i] through the area.

One of the first large-scale usages of her ability, she caused a wave of spikes to burst out of the ground at high speeds. Each spike went higher than the last. It was a cacophony of destruction as stone was being upturned, and destroyed. By the time it had ended... Qiaolian was proud of herself. She had unlocked a power that she had kept locked away... but, what more can she learn?

But, what was interesting was the open wounds that had appeared on her. Like cracks across her skin, they were oozing blood.

[i]Power came at a price, after all.[/i]

Though, her fun came to an end when she saw flashlights shining into the construction area. Oops... she's got carried away. Qiaolian grabbed her bag and hauled ass out of there, hoping that the investigators would be more concerned with the sudden destruction.